Best of 2013: The Top 10 Reader Favorite Bass Amps & Cabs

Editor’s Note: For the last week of year, we’re sharing the best of No Treble for 2013, based on readership. Be sure to check back each day until January 1st for the most popular features, lessons, videos, bassists and more.

We covered a lot of bass gear news in 2013, and there’s just too much to try to pack into a single Best Of list. So this year, we’re featuring the top 10 most popular gear stories in various bass gear categories.

Kicking things off is the top 10 most popular bass amp and cabinet stories this year. As always, these lists are based on readership.

It’s been ten years since the Phil Jones Briefcase was introduced, and the company is celebrating the milestone with a limited edition version of the compact bass amplifier. The Phil Jones Briefcase Ultimate will be a modified version of the original, bumping up output from 100 watts to 160 watts…

Phil Jones Bass has introduced the Double Four, a new 70-watt combo micro-amp that is roughly the size of a shoebox. Sporting a pair of Neo Power 4-inch drivers, the Double Four features a new driver design, acoustic loading, and separate PWM amplifiers for each speaker…

TC Electronic has expanded their BG250 combo from a single 1×15 model to an entire series of bass amps featuring three new speaker configurations: 2×10, 1×12, and 2×8. Each of the 250-watt combos features dual TonePrint onboard effects, intelligent Tone Shaping controls, a built-in tuner, a direct output, and rehearsal inputs…

Ampeg has expanded their Portaflex Series with the PF-800. At 800-watts the bass head is the strongest in the line while only weighing 11.8 pounds. Similar to the rest of the line, its compact design allows it to be stowed inside the Portaflex PF flip-top cabinets…

Two years ago, Ampeg paid homage to one of their most popular vintage models with a limited run of the Heritage B-15, which they did again in 2012. This year the company has introduced the Heritage B-15N, a new model that delivers the sound of the B-15 in a new black finish…

Tech 21 has unveiled the Private Stock Formula 21, an exclusive vacuum tube bass preamp. The limited edition preamp is hand-built at the company’s U.S. factory and is housed in a solid mahogany cabinet with a cherry finish…

Along with the reissue of the V-4B, Ampeg has announced two new SVT bass cabinets: the SVT-112AV and the SVT-212AV. Both models are stocked with 12″ Eminence LF drivers, making it the first time the company has released cabinets housing 12-inch drivers in over a decade…

Warwick has entered the lightweight amp market with the new LWA 1000, a six pound bass amp rated at 1,000 watts at 4 ohms. Featuring a Class A preamp and Class D power amp section, the LWA 1000 has two identical channels with individual mutes, 4-band EQs, built-in compressors, and gain controls…

Acoustic Image has announced the Flex Series, consisting of a Flex preamplifier and Flex 2×10 powered cabinet. While the set has great bass capabilities, AI created the setup to be “flexible” and work for many instruments…